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Being Blind in Inclusive Schools

The Effects of Blindness

How important is vision to learning?How many areas of ones life does lack of

vision affect?What must educators do to ensure the

student is ready to face the world when they leave their classroom?

Vision Loss

The term vision loss refers to individuals who reported that they have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, as well as to individuals who reported that they are blind or unable to see at all. This estimate pertains to a nationally representative sample of the non-institutionalized civilian population 25 years of age and over.

Legally Blind

In North America and Most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 ft (6.1 m) from an object to see it- with vision correction- with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 ft (61 m)

Visually impaired facts

Visual impairment refers to partial or total vision loss 35,000 citizens of MA are legally blind 10 million people in US are blind Legal blindness compares someone that has lost enough

vision so that the farthest away that they can see an object is from 20 ft away compared to a person with perfect vision that can see the same object from 200 ft away

visual impairments during youth usually come from accidents (getting hit in the eye, or in the head with a baseball, or from a car accident)

Congenital Blindness occurs at birth and can be caused by- Inherited traits Infection (ie german measles)

1 in 4 people with vision loss!!!

Approximately 5.7 million people with vision loss in the U.S. have a family income of less than $20,000. There are approximately 14.6 million people with vision loss in the U.S. that have a family income of $20,000 or more

Sensory Impairment- two types

Vision - The capacity to see, after correction, is limited, impaired, or absent and results in one or more of the following: reduced performance in visual acuity tasks; difficulty with written communication; and/or difficulty with understanding information presented visually in the education environment. The term includes students who are blind and students with limited vision.

Deaf-Blind - Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs

Types of visual impairment conditions

Amblyopia- reduced vision in an eye by lack of use (related to cross eye)

Cataracts- cloudy lenses. Congenital cataracts found in babies

Diabetic retinopathy- blood vessels in eyes are damaged due to diabetes. Occurs quickly

Glaucoma- increased internal pressure of the eye, damages optic nerve. Occurs in babies, children, and teens

Macular degeneration- gradual and progressive deterioration of the macula. generally age related but young people may also develop this condition

Types of visual tests

Visual acuity test- reading an eye chart at various distances

Visual field test- tests field of visionTonometry test- determines fluid pressure in

ones eye for glaucoma

If my child were blind what would her/his options for education be?

Perkins School Oldest school for blind and visually impaired in

country Kindergarten to age 22 Watertown MA 200 student 1:2 staff to pupil ratio (many staff are themselves

blind or visually impaired)

Variety of opportunities

Physical and language therapyPrevocational trainingIndependent living skillsAcademic work ranges from ungraded classes

to a fully accredited, traditional high school program

Early Curriculum

sensory skills (vision, touch, hearing)communication and early literacy skillssocial skillsthe use of assistive/adaptive technologyorientation and mobilityself care skillsplay skills

Secondary Curriculum

English (Grades 9-12)English as a Second

LanguageBraille LiteracyCreative WritingTheater ArtsMathematicsAlgebra I and IIGeometry ScienceGovernmentFrenchSpanish

Earth ScienceBiologyChemistryPhysicsTechnology and

EngineeringSocial StudiesGeographyWorld HistoryUnited States HistoryEconomicComputer Use

Independent Living, Social and Recreational Studies

Teaching Children who are Deaf-blind

Etiology

Characteristics

Communication Techniques

Teaching strategies

Etiology of Deaf-blindness

RubellaUsher Syndrome I & II

Congenital deafness & RP (I) Uses sign

Late onset deafness & RP (II) Mostly uses speech

MeningitisCHARGE Syndrome

Etiology of Deaf-blindness Cont.

PrematurityParental use of drugsSTD’sOther

Characteristics of Children with Deaf-blindness

Heterogeneous groupMultiplicative of deafness or blindnessMethodicalNeed for samenessMay become frustratedDesire for communicationEnjoy movement

Slides, climbing, swings Swimming, dancing Scooters, jumping on trampoline

Characteristics continued

Need for multiple choicesNeed for Ecological Task AnalysisNeed for instruction to be flexibleNeed for all incidental information to be

given to themShare knowledge of progress on rubric or

checklist

Communication

Sign language Tactile In small space Far away

Voice and sign Todoma possible

Voice only May use microphone

May use gestures

Teaching Techniques

Use multiple teaching modesUse the techniques of

Coactive movement Physical guidance Brailling** Document all teaching techniques used

Decrease physical cues to natural cuesLink movement to language and explain

the how, why and what of all activitiesOne person teaches at a time-more than

one touch is confusing

Teaching Techniques

Task analyzeBe creativeBe patient-repeat skills until student

understandsBe flexibleObserve movement and modify as necessaryThere is more than one way to do many

activities

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